MINIMALLY INVASIVE NEUROSURGICAL INTRACRANIAL ROBOT SYSTEM AND METHOD
First Claim
1. Minimally Invasive Neurosurgical Intracranial Robot (MINIR) system, comprising:
- a robot sub-system compatible with an imaging system and introduced in an intracranial area containing a target of interest;
a tracking sub-system operatively coupled to said robot sub-system and generating tracking information corresponding to said robot sub-system position;
an interface operatively coupled to said imaging system and said tracking sub-system to display substantially in real-time images of the intracranial area generated by said imaging system aligned with said tracking information, wherein said interface is further operatively interconnected between a user and said robot sub-system, and wherein the user applies commands to said interface to manipulate said robot sub-system based on said substantially in real-time images and said tracking information to reach said target of interest for an intended interaction therewith;
wherein said robot sub-system includes;
a robot body composed of a plurality of links and N revolute joints interconnecting respective of said plurality of links each to the other, wherein each of said N revolute joints is formed between respective adjacent links for rotational motion of each link with respect to the other about a corresponding rotational axis extending through said each revolute joint in substantially orthogonal relationship to a rotational axis of an adjacent revolute joint;
a tendon sub-system integrated with said robot body and containing N independent tendons routed through walls of said plurality of links, wherein each of said N tendons is operatively coupled to a respective one of said N revolute joints;
an actuator sub-system operatively coupled to said tendon sub-system, said actuator sub-system containing N independently operated actuating mechanisms, wherein each actuating mechanism is operatively coupled to a respective one of said N revolute joints through a respective one of said N tendons to independently control said respective revolute joint through controlling the motion of said respective tendon of said tendon sub-system; and
a control sub-system operatively coupled between said interface and said actuator sub-system;
wherein said control sub-system generates control signals responsive to the user'"'"'s commands input via said interface and transmits said control signals to said actuator sub-system; and
wherein said actuator sub-system, responsive to said control signals received thereat, controls, through controlling the motion of at least one said respective tendon, the rotational motion of adjacent links of at least one said revolute joint, thereby steering said robot sub-system relative to said target of interest.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Minimally invasive neurosurgical intracranial robot system is introduced to the operative site by a neurosurgeon through a narrow surgical corridor. The robot is passed through a cannula and is attached to the cannula by a latching mechanism. The robot has several links interconnected via revolute joints which are tendon-driven by tendons routed through channels formed in the walls of the links. The robot is teleoperatively guided by the neurosurgeon based on real-time images of the intracranial operative site and tracking information of the robot position. The robot body is equipped with a tracking system, tissue liquefacting end-effector, at as well as irrigation and suction tubes. Actuators for the tendon-driven mechanism are positioned at a distance from the imaging system to minimize distortion to the images. The tendon-actuated navigation of the robot permits an independent control of the revolute joints in the robot body.
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Citations
39 Claims
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1. Minimally Invasive Neurosurgical Intracranial Robot (MINIR) system, comprising:
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a robot sub-system compatible with an imaging system and introduced in an intracranial area containing a target of interest; a tracking sub-system operatively coupled to said robot sub-system and generating tracking information corresponding to said robot sub-system position; an interface operatively coupled to said imaging system and said tracking sub-system to display substantially in real-time images of the intracranial area generated by said imaging system aligned with said tracking information, wherein said interface is further operatively interconnected between a user and said robot sub-system, and wherein the user applies commands to said interface to manipulate said robot sub-system based on said substantially in real-time images and said tracking information to reach said target of interest for an intended interaction therewith; wherein said robot sub-system includes; a robot body composed of a plurality of links and N revolute joints interconnecting respective of said plurality of links each to the other, wherein each of said N revolute joints is formed between respective adjacent links for rotational motion of each link with respect to the other about a corresponding rotational axis extending through said each revolute joint in substantially orthogonal relationship to a rotational axis of an adjacent revolute joint; a tendon sub-system integrated with said robot body and containing N independent tendons routed through walls of said plurality of links, wherein each of said N tendons is operatively coupled to a respective one of said N revolute joints; an actuator sub-system operatively coupled to said tendon sub-system, said actuator sub-system containing N independently operated actuating mechanisms, wherein each actuating mechanism is operatively coupled to a respective one of said N revolute joints through a respective one of said N tendons to independently control said respective revolute joint through controlling the motion of said respective tendon of said tendon sub-system; and a control sub-system operatively coupled between said interface and said actuator sub-system; wherein said control sub-system generates control signals responsive to the user'"'"'s commands input via said interface and transmits said control signals to said actuator sub-system; and wherein said actuator sub-system, responsive to said control signals received thereat, controls, through controlling the motion of at least one said respective tendon, the rotational motion of adjacent links of at least one said revolute joint, thereby steering said robot sub-system relative to said target of interest. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A method for minimally invasive intracranial neurosurgery, comprising the steps of:
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forming a surgical path towards an intracranial area containing a target of interest; introducing a Minimally Invasive Neurosurgical Intracranial Robot (MINIR) device to said intracranial area through said surgical path; wherein said MINIR device includes a robot body composed of a plurality of links interconnected at N revolute joints, wherein each one of said N revolute joints is formed between respective adjacent links from said plurality thereof for rotational motion of each link with respect to the other about a corresponding rotational axis extending through said each revolute joint in substantially orthogonal relationship to a rotational axis of an adjacent revolute joint, a tendon sub-system integrated with said robot body and containing N independent tendons routed through walls of said plurality of links in a predetermined order, wherein each of said N tendons is operatively coupled to a respective one of said N revolute joints; and a tracking sub-system having at least one sensor positioned in proximity to a tip of said robot body and generating information corresponding to a position of said tip of said robot body; obtaining, substantially in real-time, images of said intracranial area containing the target of interest on a display of an user'"'"'s interface; aligning said tracking information acquired from said tracking sub-system and said in real-time images of said intracranial area on the display of the user'"'"'s interface; and receiving, through said interface, the user'"'"'s commands to control said robot body position and configuration based on said tracking information and said in real-time images; and responsive to the user'"'"'s commands, calculating and operatively applying control signals to said tendon sub-system to control rotational motion of at least one respective revolute joint through controlling motion of at least one tendon is said tendon sub-system coupled to said respective revolute joint, thereby navigating said robot body relative to said target of interest. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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Specification